One Slip
by linzhatterxx
Summary: Just when things were starting to settle under Jack's rule, another Oyster falls into Wonderland... Not as Jack oriented as it sounds, I promise. Haha. Reviews are much appreciated! Rated 'M' for strong language.
1. Far Ago and Long Away

**Far Ago and Long Away**

Karma had always been a rather curious girl; whether it was further exploring something she'd learned in school, picking up a random book and reading it cover to cover (just 'cause she could, of course) or experimenting with drugs, she was always doing something new. Her father often tossed the old "Curiosity killed the cat" adage at her, but she would merely smile her famous grin and trot off to her newest adventure. The way she saw it, you had to live your life to the absolute fullest, never passing up an opportunity, or else you would die with regrets; and if there was one thing Karma didn't want to have, it was regrets.

After it was all over with, she decided that it was a strange day from the get go. She had slept through her alarm and was late for her first class (very nearly missing a deadline because of it), she'd left her wallet in her dorm, and she found herself considerably less coordinated than usual (as was evident in the fact that she managed to lose control of her skateboard – it was almost as if it suddenly had a mind of its own). But none of that could compare what happened on her way to lunch.

Karma sat on the brick wall surrounding one of the schools small gardens, iPod earbuds secure in her ears, singing quietly to herself when she saw something dart by her. She wondered briefly what it was, but shrugged and made her mind up that it was just light reflecting off a door and shining in her eyes.

Someone was standing in front of her. "Skankface, what's up?" A tall, dark girl in a tight red tee shirt and nearly-black jeans asked, tossing her thick curls out of her face. Karma shrugged, squinting up at her and removing the earbuds.

"Not a fuckin' thing, Kat," she sighed, shielding her eyes with her hand as she looked around and stood. Then she sighed, somewhat annoyed. "You seen Benji, by any chance? Fucker's been avoiding me for a week."

"I haven't seen him. Maybe he's sick?"

That flash of light passed by her again, distracting her. Despite telling herself that it was just a trick of the sun, Karma knew that it was something more. "Hey, you don't mind if we push this lunch date to another time, do you? I think I'm gonna go look for him myself. I really need to talk to him about what happened. And I have class in a half hour."

Kat nodded sympathetically, patting her shoulder. "Remember, if he decides to be a douche about it, I'll gladly take him out."

"I think I can handle him," she smirked, throwing her board down and taking off in the direction she'd seen the light go. She eventually reached the edge of the woods that surrounded the campus, and picked her board up a little warily. _Maybe that was just Benji, yunno, running around… fucker is pretty fast, after all…and pale as hell, too._

"Benji?" She called, gingerly stepping past the line of trees. No answer, so she went in further. "Benjamin Jade Banks, you better fuckin' answer me, or else-"

She stopped; standing in front of her was a young man, who was most certainly _not _Benji. He looked like an albino; his skin was chalky white, his hair looked like the palest gold, and was spiked up into a fauxhawk. His clothes were as pale as the rest of him; fitted white slacks, an off-white v-neck tee shirt and a eggshell colored vest, white sneakers on his feet. She could feel adrenaline pumping through her as her fight-or-flight instinct took over, and she stepped back a bit. "Who the fuck are you?" She asked, hopefully masking the fear in her voice. He smirked, his red eyes laughing at her as he took a step closer.

"You sure have a mouth, don't you?" he chuckled, his voice silky, but giving Karma the sensation of a snake crawling over her skin. She shivered, but held her ground. "If you ask nicely, maybe I'll tell you."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and pushing her hot-pink bangs out of her face, "Ok, fine; who the _hell_ are you. That better?" He snickered, crossing his arms and mimicking her position.

"Not really," he pulled out a silver pocket watch and glanced at it before stashing it away again, "I'd love to continue this conversation, but I'm running very late. Another time, perhaps, Oyster." With that, he turned and sprinted away, leaving a very confused Karma behind.

_What the smeggin' hell? _She wondered for a moment before chasing after him. A distant part of her was reminded of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but that voice was drowned out by her overwhelming curiosity; who _was _this douche? And why the _fuck _did he call her an Oyster? It was while she contemplated these questions that she tripped, and found herself falling down and down and d

o

w

n …

Twisting and turning, trying to grab onto something, finding nothing but a strange, shimmering mist around her, Karma wondered if she was about to die. She landed solidly on her back, air escaping her lungs without her permission, and blacked out. When she came to, she found herself in the middle of the woods, sunlight streaming in through the leaves. _I'm either dead, or that was __a momentary lapse of madness,_ she decided, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. It hurt like utter hell, and she wondered how much more time she had to get to her next class. "Assuming I'm not already late," she mumbled, attempting to stand up. Dusting herself off, she looked around, her stomach dropping.

These were _not _the woods by her school. Those woods were quiet and rather tame, having more than likely been manmade, in an attempt to give the college some atmosphere. But the woods she was in now, they were anything but; there was life all around her, and a primal feel in the air. Shivering, she asked quietly, "Where am I?"

Something jabbed her back, and she instinctively raised her arms, turning around. Standing before her was an old man in armor, with a fuckin' bizarre beard and a sword; behind him, at least ten men in suits, with guns pointed straight at her.

"By Order of the King, you, Oyster, are under arrest." He seemed to not want to say it, but Karma merely rolled her eyes and held her wrists out to be cuffed. They led her away, and once again, she was left to wonder why she kept being called a Oyster, not to mention, just where in the Hell she was.

They took her to a large stone castle and threw her into a room (the Knight dude had left them at the gate, which made her feel even more uneasy; these guys in suits gave her the creeps). She rubbed her wrists where the cuffs had been, and looked around. The room was a dark red; red walls, carpet, furniture and lamps. Even the desk was cherry wood, as were the massive bookshelves that occupied two walls. At the end opposite Karma was a fire place, and in front of it, two (red) wingback chairs and a small coffee table.

"You must be the Oyster," a man mused, standing from one of the fireplace chairs and coming towards her. He was tall and pale; he could've been Benji's twin if not for his blue-green eyes. He wore a red suit, and seemed just a little full of himself.

"I guess I am, since that's all I've been called since I got here." That reminded her, "Where is 'here,' anyway?"

He looked mildly amused, stopping right in front of her. "This, dear Karma, is the Kingdom of Wonderland." When her mouth opened to contradict him (there was no way in hell it was true; that was a drug-induced kids' story), he waved his hand. "I know you think I'm lying, but it's true."

"Ok, one, how the fuck do you know my name? Two, you're off your fuckin' rocker, dude." She shook her head and looked around, trying to figure out if she'd be able to escape somehow. A smirk fell on his lips, and he patted her head.

"You can't get out of here on your own, I'm sorry." He laughed a little at her expression, then clasped his hands behind his back. "And my men searched your belongings when you arrived here."

"Who're you?" She asked, taking a step back from this guy; he was starting to give her the heebie-jeebies, big time.

"I am Jack Heart, the King of Wonderland." He said, bowing slightly. She scoffed, but chose not to make her comment.

"Why was I arrested?"

"Oysters, rather, people from your world are not legally allowed in Wonderland any longer. You see, women from your world seem to cause a bit of trouble here, so I've decided it's just better if you stay out." He pointedly ignored the niggling voice that reminded him it was thanks to such a woman that he was now in power, his mother's tyrannical rule all but a distant memory. "How did you find your way here, anyhow?"

"I fell, I think." She rubbed the back of her head again, and he raised an eyebrow. "Yunno, if you really wanna stop people from my world from coming here, you might wanna patch up your damn hole."

"A Rabbit Hole?" He asked, looking somewhere between confused and alarmed.

"I guess. And, yunno, you're damn lucky I wasn't killed when I fell! I think I got a concussion, or something," she huffed, and he went back to his desk, muttering to himself. "Hey, you fuckin' listening to me? I said-"

"I heard you. This is impossible, though. All the Rabbit Holes were closed long ago..." he began sifting through some of the papers on his desk, apparently forgetting she was there. She approached his desk and laid her hands on it, standing over him for a moment.

"Obviously not, because I damn near broke my Goddamn back-"

"You have quite a mouth, don't you?" He asked, glancing up. She shook her head in annoyance, and then he stood, now towering over her (though, most did anyway, given that she was only 5'2). "This is a disturbing development. I'm going to place you under the supervision of one of my men; he'll take you to a room here in the castle. I'll need you to help us figure this out."

Karma turned as one of the men in suits entered, and she grimaced, looking back to Jack. "Why me?"

He met her eyes, "Because you caused it to open; we just need to figure out why."


	2. White Rabbit

**White Rabbit**

The man in the suit (who Karma found out was the Seven of Spades) wasn't as creepy as the ones who had brought her to the Castle, but he wasn't much better. He all but threw her into the cell (not a nice _room_, as she'd been promised) and laughed heartily when her head smacked against the cell wall. "Doncha' know how to treat a fuckin' lady?" She snapped, rubbing her head and wishing that she could injure something other than that, for once. He slammed the door, and she was enveloped in darkness.

A small whimper escaped her lips as she stood in the middle of the cell, wrapping her arms around herself against the damp chill of the room. The sound quickly turned into a groan, however, when a quiet, slick laugh echoed off the walls. The albino appeared before her, smirking a tiny bit.

"Are you sure that 'lady' is an appropriate name for someone like you?" He asked softly, inclining his head slightly.

She glared up at him. "Thanks, by the way," she hissed, smirking when she noted his being caught off guard.

"I beg your pardon?"

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this dank friggen cell. I'd be back at school, stuffing my face with Kat and talking to Benji." She sighed, looking away from him. "But, instead, I'm sitting here with a splitting headache, with no idea what's going on, or how I'm gonna get home."

He shrugged, "You didn't _have_ to follow me, you know. This really isn't my fault. But," his eyes twinkled a little, and his nose twitched, "I may know someone who can get you out of here."

"Right, just like I was supposed to be in a 'nice room', according to the King." Karma scoffed, looking away from him, "'Nice room' my ass."

"Monarchs can never be trusted. I, on the other hand, am nowhere near being royalty." He smiled a little, putting a hand on his chest and bowing just slightly. She sighed and turned away from him, ignoring the rushing sensation of lightheadedness.

"You still never answered my question." She pointed out, sticking an arm through the cell, testing how much of her body she could squeeze through. He chuckled.

"How silly of me, how can we have a proper conversation without being introduced?" He cleared his throat, suddenly at her elbow. She could've jumped a mile. "I am Anderson White, or as my friends and associates call me," he reached into his vest and pulled out a card, "White Rabbit."

Karma took the card from him and looked at it in the dim light. It was nearly void of anything, except for a rabbit shaped water mark and the words, "The White Rabbit," printed on it in small, shimmery letters.

"And you are?"

She ignored his question, and his now extended hand, not very keen on touching him. "Why do they call you White Rabbit?"

"Because, Karma-"

She held a hand up, getting a sick feeling in her stomach when he said her name. "How do you know my name, too?" Her voice quivered again.

He smirked again, circling her once, "What, do I scare you? Are you afraid?" A quick laugh escaped his lips, and Karma glared once more.

"The fuck do you think? Look where I am! In the middle of fuckin' Crazyland!" She groaned and slid down the bars, tugging at the ends of her hair and digging the heels of her hands into her eyes. _Maybe if I close my eyes and click my heels or some shit, I'll wake up and this will be just a dream…_

No such luck. "So... why do they call you White Rabbit?" She asked, her voice thin and wavering; she now felt like she was really going to be sick. When she opened her eyes, he was barely an inch from touching her nose. She resisted the urge to bite it off, and tried to back further into the wall – anything to get some space between herself and this creep.

He shrugged, a small, quick motion that she may not have caught if she wasn't watching him so carefully. "Not quite sure, to tell the truth. But that's far from being the point." He stood, his nose twitching again as he held his hand out to help her up. She pushed off the wall and stood on her own. "The point is… I know someone who can help you."

Rolling her eyes a tiny bit, she sighed. "And what do you seem to think I need help with?"

"Getting out of here, of course."

Before she could answer, there was a commotion at the other end of the hall; male voices bickering and arguing, Jack's was among them. He appeared at the cell door (White Rabbit disappearing, as if he'd never even been there to begin with) and opened it, his expression somewhat unreadable.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, Karma," he said in a rush, grabbing her arm and ushering her out. "I had no idea they would assume I wanted you in jail."

"Well, maybe next time you should be a little more specific, doncha' think?" She snapped, coming out of her daze and taking her arm back. He sighed a little, ignoring her comment.

"I have an agent who I want you to work with. He's a bit... odd. But then, what is Wonderland without odd characters?" His mouth twitched into a slight smile, but upon seeing her annoying expression, it faded.

"I still don't get what the hell this 'Rabbit Hole' opening up has to do with me," Karma sighed, looking away as they walked back to the main floor of the castle.

"Frankly, I don't know yet, either. But you must've caused it somehow. And that is why I want you and Agent Gilmore to look into it."

She crinkled her nose in confusion, "Agent Gilmore?"

"At your service, ma'am."


	3. Eyes on Fire

**Eyes on Fire**

"At your service, ma'am."

The look of surprise on the girl's slight baby face made him chuckle, her colorful locks settling back onto her shoulders. But what caught his attention more than the bright pink and black, or even more than the ring on her nose (_Otherworlders are so strange_, he decided) were her eyes; heavily lined, and the bluest blue he'd seen in all of his 67 (though he looked no older than 23) years. They vaguely reminded him of something he'd seen in his studies once, blue flames. He remembered being told that blue flames are one of the hottest flames in existence, and that he should never touch one. Sterling Gilmore contemplated for a moment whether she was as hot (or dangerous) to touch as the fire she brought to mind. Eager to find out, he extended his hand. "Agent Sterling Gilmore, but you can call me Cheshire."

She hesitantly shook his hand (which he found wasn't as warm as he'd expected, though he got a strange surge of _something_ when they touched), and cocked an eyebrow. "Cheshire? Where the hell did you get that?"

He laughed, his grin stretching across his face, "Well, the first reason should be fairly obvious." He pointed at his face, and she nodded a little, giving him a wary look. "Two, my great granddad was _the_ Cheshire Cat of Legend, so I figure, why not?"

"Right... so you're the guy who's supposed to help me?"

The skeptical look on her face caused his grin to grow again, to the point that it looks like it could've extended beyond his face, and he nodded. "Yep, I handle Oyster cases almost exclusively," he made a show of looking her up and down (more to see her reaction than to _actually_ check her out). She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, taking a step back in disgust. "I would've helped regardless."

She turned to Jack with a small stamp of her foot. "Ok, I may not understand why the hell you need me here, and or why exactly you need my help, but I am _not_ working with a creeper like him!"

That made Sterling laugh even louder, and she turned and glared at him like he was mad ("We're all mad here," his great granddad used to tell him), and he patted her shoulder. "No worries, miss. you're not my type, anyway."

Now she looked insulted; this was becoming too much fun, "So you're saying I'm not attractive?" She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, the fire in her eyes growing slightly. Jack shot him a look telling him that he was in for it, but Sterling ignored his warning.

"Not saying that, ma'am, you're pretty enough, to be sure… just not my type." He smirked casually and leaned against a wall - or looked like he was, anyway; his body was tilted to one side and he remained standing, yet there was nothing holding him in place. She looked confused for a moment, and was about to say something, but he cut her off. "Where did she fall?"

"In the Tulgey Wood, I believe. You'll have to talk to Sir Charles for specifics, though," Jack answered. The girl turned to Jack and glared fiercely.

"Yunno, I am standing _right here_, you could just ask me."

"Karma, I would not hesitate in asking you. However," he turned his steely gaze onto the girl, who seemed to take a step back, "you wouldn't be able to tell us, as you have no knowledge of Wonderland."

She huffed a bit, crossing her arms and not looking at either one; to Sterling, she seemed rather like a spoiled child who wasn't getting her way. "Karma? Odd name," he mused quietly. Her head snapped around, causing him to jump slightly.

"Coming from a guy named _Sterling_?"

Jack threw his hands up with a hopeless expression, and then sighed, "I'll leave the two of you now; I'd suggest finding Sir Charles soon, Agent Gilmore. We all know how the old man's memory is." With a small smirk, he was gone, leaving Sterling alone with this girl. _Karma_, he mentally corrected himself. They remained silent for a moment, seemingly sizing each other up, when Karma spoke.

"So, _Cheshire_," sarcasm was heavy in her voice, and Sterling rolled his eyes, "what should we do now?"

"Well, miss Karma," he pushed himself off of his invisible wall, and pulled a cane out of thin air, starting to stride forward, enjoying her look of astonishment, "I suppose we ought to start by talking to Charlie, right? After all," he turned to face her, his yellowish eyes twinkling with mischief, "he found you and all, right?"

"If 'Charlie' is the weird old guy who likes to sing and has a weird ass beard, yeah, he's the dude who found me. And shoved a sword in my back after I almost broke it." She rubbed her back a little, and Sterling nodded, slightly amused by her description.

"That would be him," Sterling turned and started walking again, somehow feeling pleased when he heard her following behind him; not the annoying 'click' sound of the heels many of the women still wore around here, but a solid sound of flat shoes hitting the marble floor. He glanced behind him a few times to look at her, finding each time that she wore a slightly anxious look and she walked with her fists at her sides. Once or twice he noticed her playing with a chain around her neck, but other than that nothing changed.

"Now," he stopped before a door, and she ran into his back.

"Break lights, dude, break lights!" She mumbled, stepping away from him. He shrugged with his eye brows, wondering what 'break lights' meant, and turned to face her.

"You have to be patient with Charlie. He's old."

She gave him a look that said quite plainly, "No shit, really? Never woulda' guessed."


	4. Goodnight, Travel Well

**Goodnight, Travel Well.**

Sterling rolled his eyes at her, then hesitantly knocked on the door. There was no response, which ultimately didn't worry him at first. Charlie was, after all, getting on his age, and didn't have the quickest reactions in the world. But quiet fear started in on him when he couldn't hear Charlie's "Hey, nonni nonni's" from within. He put his arm out behind him to protect Karma (he needed her, after all), his cane materializing in his hand again. Raising it, he was about to kick the door in, when someone else was behind him.

"Fitten's ghost, boy!" Came the old man's voice, from behind them. "Put that thing away."

The two of them turned, and Sterling breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the White Knight. His cane disappeared again, and his grin returned to his face. "Terribly sorry, Charlie," he chuckled a bit. "Thought you were in your room, so you gave me a bit of a fright."

Charlie laughed and pulled him into a bear hug, seemingly ignoring (or not hearing) the younger man's cries of protest. It wasn't until Karma started laughing at the two that he released Sterling from his unassuming grasp. "Ahh, you're the young girl I came across yesterday!" He moved towards her, and she held her hands up in front of her.

"Sorry, Granddad. I typically don't hug people who shove sharp objects at me."

He looked genuinely hurt by that, "I'll have you know, missy, that I do not go shoving sharp objects at people just on a whim. I have my orders, and I follow my orders." He crossed his arms over his shiney armor, nodding once. She almost giggled again when his beard bounced, but kept her face straight.

"Speaking of that, where exactly did you find her?" Sterling gently took the old man by the arm and moved him into his room, Karma following behind. There was a large map painted onto one of the stone walls, along with a mural that took up the other three walls. While Charlie tried to pinpoint Karma's previous location, the Cheshire leaned close to her ear. "The hero of Wonderland.," he explained, chuckling when she jumped. "Rather, de heroes."

"Who?" She looked from him to the mural.

"That's Alice of legend, the blonde one there," he pointed to a little girl, she couldn't have been more than twelve. "I'm sure you know her story."

Karma shrugged, "More or less." She looked back at the mural, squinting slightly at it. She looked slightly perplexed by the rest of the people depicted.

"Then there's Alice, the Champion of Wonderland and her companion, Hatter." He gestured to two more figures further down the wall; a brunette in a blue dress and a man in a porkpie hat. "An Oyster, like yourself, who brought down the Queen of Hearts, for good. It's been about 50 years since then, so we're all fairly certain she's not coming back."

Looking down at her, she seemed about to say something, but Charlie suddenly yelped. "Here! She was about 20 miles from the entrance to the Kingdom of the Knights when I found her."

Sterling shook himself, and nodded. "So Jackie boy was right; the Tulgey Wood." Sighing, he cracked his knuckles and looked at Charlie. "We're gonna need to borrow Gwen and Blanche."

"You're joking!" The Knight exclaimed, his eyes going wide, "You're not considering taking this young girl through that dreadful forest! Not in the state it's in now!"

"What choice do I have?" Sterling snapped. "I've gotta get her out there so we can find that bleedin' Hole, and get some idea of _why_ she's here."

"She fell through a Rabbit Hole?"

With an exasperated groan, Karma went and sat on the edge of Charlie's bed. "Is it just a thing around here? To talk about someone like they aren't in the fuckin' room?" Both men turned to her, Charlie with a look of horror on his face (undoubtedly due to her language).

Despite this, Charlie apologized quickly for the both of them. "Forgive me, Lady...?"

"Karma," she and Sterling answered at once, and she glared at him a bit before laying back on the bed.

"Lady Karma," he smiled, "I apologize for excluding you from a conversation that more or less decides your fate. However," he turned to Sterling again, "you're _not_ taking her out there. It's far too dangerous for a girl!"

"Trust me on this one, Charlie, she isn't your typical Damsel in Distress." Sterling smirked a bit, "To be frank, she's more like a man."

"I go from being a weak little bitch that apparently can't take care of herself to a manly chick. Wonderful. Not sure which is more insulting," Karma snorted, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling.

Sterling sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose while Charlie collected himself. "I say, she has quite a mouth, doesn't she?" He managed out finally, while Sterling merely nodded.

She covered her face with her hands and groaned while the two of them bickered for a few more minutes. "Look," she said, growing tired of listening to their back and forth, "I just want to figure out why the hell I'm here and get the fuck out. So, if that means going to that forest or whatever, I'm doing it, with or without you guys." Before either man could react she was on her feet and walking out of the room. Sterling turned and looked at Charlie.

"We'll need the horses, Charlie," his voice had taken an anxious turn, and the old man finally relented.

"They're in the stable." Sterling turned quickly and was nearly out the door when he felt the Knight's hand on his shoulder. "Goodnight, travel well, and for Charles's sake, be careful boy."

He nodded once, his cane forming in his hand once more as he chased the headstrong Oyster down the hall. "Karma!"

She stopped, slowly turning around with a slight smirk on her face. "I figured that'd get one of you to move." She crossed her arms. "He's letting us have the horses, I take it?"

Sterling nodded, a bit shocked by the sudden change in her mood. "You've cheered up."

A shrug, "Well, I've never ridden a horse before, and I'm eager to add that to my list of things I've done." She turned around and started walking again, leaving a confused Cheshire in her wake. _Bloody women._

She was already in the stable when he got there, being instructed on some of the basics of riding a horse by one of the stable Clubs. "Now, you must be careful, Miss Karma, and remember what I told you, because Blanche doesn't really like anyone but Sir Charles, and might try to throw you."

"Well, never know, ehh?" She flashed him a dazzling grin, and spurred the horse's sides. Sterling had to use his more feline reflexes to get out of the way in time, and he vaguely heard Karma scream in surprise as she passed. He ran into the stable and grabbed the boy.

"You let her have Blanche? You dolt!" He shook him, then released his grip to hop on the remaining horse, a chestnut mare named Guinevere. Of all the dumb mistakes the dopey Club could've made! Sterling shook his head and took off after her, praying that his horse could keep up to the wild white mare. The last thing he wanted was for her to find her way into the Tulgey Wood at night without him.

To his surprise, he found the Oyster and the horse on a small hill, Karma laughing freely and laying on her back while Blanche snacked on the grass. "That was such a rush!" She giggled when Sterling slid off his horse to help her up.

"You're alright?" He didn't believe she'd taken a ride like that and not come out injured somehow.

Karma nodded, that exhilarated grin still plastered on her face. "She never tried to throw me. We just ran."

_She's mad._ He nodded, still unsure of her mental stability (_Must've hit her head somehow_), "Right. Well, going into the Tulgey Wood at night isn't a good idea these days. I say we go back to the castle for the night, gather what supplies we'll need, and head out in the morning. That way you can get a bit more practice on Blanche. Just cause she didn't try to throw you this time doesn't mean she won't ever.

"You kidding?" She laughed, climbing back up on Blanche. "I know how to read a map; if we keep going all night, we'll reach the Tulgey Wood by dawn." And with that, she was off again, she and the horse a mere blur of white, black and pink.

"I need to ask Jack if all Oyster women're this stubborn," he mumbled as he clambered back onto Gwen and followed after her.


	5. For Reasons Unknown

**For Reasons Unknown**

Karma laid by the fire, half dozing, as Sterling (_Cheshire_, she corrected mentally) continued to work on whatever it was he was cooking. It smelled fantastic; vaguely reminded her of those company picnics her dad used to have to take her and her mom to when she was little. Shaking the thought off, she sat up and gazed at him over the blaze. "How do you know Charlie?"

"Hrm?" He glanced up at her, skewering another piece of the mystery meat and setting it over the fire. "Ahh, Charlie. Well, y'see, I was orphan'd by the Queen just 'efore the fall o' the Casineh'. When Jack start'd rebuildin', Charlie found me wanderin' around in the castle and decid'd tha' since I managed teh sneak in so easy, I'd probably be a half decen' spy, er whatever I am. An' 'e start'd trainin' me. Somewhere along the way, 'e turn'd inteh a father figure, o' sorts." he smiled a little and met her eyes for a moment, before going back to their dinner. "Taught me ever'thing 'e knows 'bout survivin' in the woods an' awl tha'. I owe 'im a lo'."

She nodded, turning her eyes back to the cuff of her jacket. "Including your cooking skills?"

Cheshire scoffed, "Well, those I developed on me own. 'E did, 'owever, teach me 'ow teh find and catch Borogrove. They're the devil teh catch, yunno."

"I see," Karma giggled slightly and looked up, watching his yellow eyes in the fading sun. Again, she was reminded of the Twilight vampires (she felt ill at even referring to them as Vampires, cause they weren't.), but chose to ignore it. He wasn't anything like them, he was different. Very different, to say the least. And she liked that.

"Yep, so, yeh hungry?" She nodded and reached for the skewer he handed her, biting into the meat. It was fantastically unlike anything she'd ever tasted, something between chicken and beef, almost like pork, and yet somewhere she swore she could taste something distinctly fishy.

"This is amazing," she commented, taking another bite. He chuckled, wiping his hand on his pant leg before grabbing his own.

"Glad yeh like it." He sighed after a moment and looked out towards the forest with what Karma thought looked like apprehension. They ate in silence, till she finally spoke up.

"How easy will it be to find?" She inquired quietly, looking up at him through her eyelashes. He tossed the remains of his food aside, brushed his hands off, then looked up.

"Pard'n?"

"The Rabbit Hole."

He nodded once, understanding, and stood, "Well, tha' awl depends." Karma's nose wrinkled in confusion.

"On what?"

"On yeh, no' teh put teh fine a poin' on i'." He smiled a little, running a hand through his multicolored blond hair. Cheshire got to his feet and walked around their fire, sitting down beside her. "Yeh see, miss Karma, Rabbit Holes are finicky things. Jack though' 'e could close 'em awl, bu', well, they don' work tha' way. They close an' open of their own will, an' appear where they wan'. Can' control 'em, 'onestleh. 'Owever," he held a finger up, as if making a point, and turned to face her. She blushed slightly, realizing that this was the closest she'd been to him, and nodded for him to continue, "sometimes, they choose people. No one knows why, exac'ly, but when they choose a person to open fer, that person becomes a master o' sorts."

"Ohh," Karma nodded, "I get it. So if it just opened randomly, then nothing major is going on. But if it opens again, then...."

He smirked and stood, dusting his pants off, "Then, miss Karma, there's somethin' special about yeh." She blushed again, praying he didn't notice, and yawned slightly. "Tired?"

"Apparently," she chuckled a little. He walked over to the horses and started checking for something. He twisted his mouth and sighed.

"Well, stay close teh the fire, then. 'Cause we seem teh 'ave no supplies, thanks teh a certa'n eager young lass takin' off 'efore we could pack." Before she could snap back at him, she noticed the playful expression on his face. "And don' worry 'bout the fire, I'll stay up with i'."

"But aren't you tired?" He waved his hand, dismissing the idea.

"I can go withou' sleep. I'll be fine, doncheh' worry yer pretty little head 'bout i'."

Though she didn't feel right about making him basically take care of her all night, Karma eventually settled into a semi-peaceful (and uncomfortable) sleep. She woke the next morning to the sun peaking over the horizon, and noticed that Cheshire had, in fact, dozed off during the night. Cracking a sleepy smirk, she stood, stretching and cracking various joints till the soreness was, at the very least, tolerable. Stepping over the reminents of their fire, she carefully stood over him. His arms were wrapped around himself in what she assumed was an attempt to stay warm, and his denim clad legs were tucked under him. Without thinking why, she removed her jacket and placed it over him, ignoring the chills that coursed through her from the contact with the brisk morning air.

A twig snapped somewhere behind her, and she turned, peering into the forest before her. She didn't like the vibe she got from the trees, and it caused another shiver to pass through her. Deciding it would be best to ignore whatever it was and wait till Cheshire woke up to explore, she sat about getting the fire restarted. He had a small pile of twigs and sticks beside him, and she loaded them onto the embers with some dried leaves, fishing her lighter out of her pocket. Attempting to light the fire, she tried to ignore the niggling feeling that told her she wanted a cigarette, reminding herself that her pack was in her purse, which was certainly no where near where she was.

"Mmph," she giggled a little bit, glancing over her shoulder at the stirring government agent.

"Morning, Mr I Don't Need Sleep."

"Hush up, yeh," he groaned, starting to turn on his side, and falling off of his perch. That seemed to wake him up completely, and he yawned. "I wasn' asleep. I was, erm...."

"Asleep," Karma finished, turning to face him fully, having gotten the fire started. "You're cute while you sleep."

He paused in his stretching, one arm bent above his head and the other fully extended out to the side, and looked at her, seemingly trying to think of a witty retort. "An' I'm no' any other time?" She smirked and stood, grabbing her jacket back.

"You don't talk while you sleep, so yes, that makes you much more appealing than any other time."

He snorted and resumed his stretching, shaking the rest of his fatigue off and getting to his feet. "Why'd yeh do tha'?"

Zipping the jacket up, she raised her eye brows, "Do what?" Confusion wound itself into her voice, and she put her hands on her hips. If he meant giving him her jacket, well, that'd be the last time she did something nice for him. She didn't have to do it, she could've let him freeze--

"Start the fire. I mean, we're not gonna get a lo' a use ovit."

"Oh." Her angry thoughts halted, and she blushed a little. "Well... I don't really know. I just felt like you would probably wanna get warm, or something, cause you have to be cold after sleeping with nothing but your clothes." She reached out and touched his arm, then pulled her hand back, as if she'd been shocked. Yes, his skin was a bit chilled, but that wasn't as shocking as what she'd felt.

"Hey," his voice pulled her from her thoughts, and when she looked up at him, the look of genuine concern (or whatever was masquerading as it) nearly knocked her down. "Yeh alrigh'?'

She nodded, somehow managing to stammer out a weak "Yes" without realizing it, and started fiddling with the locket around her neck. It was a habit she'd broken years ago, but suddenly she felt compelled to hold onto the trinket for dear life.

Cheshire nodded as well, not looking too satisfied with her answer, then proceeded to throw dirt on the fire to put it out. "We best get goin', then. You ready to go?"

Karma shook her head slightly, forcing herself back to reality, and looked up at him. "Yeah, let's go," she murmured, climbing onto Blanche, who winnied happily at her. She smiled slightly at the mare's actions, and sighed. There was a feeling of extreme anxiousness settling in her stomach, and she knew one thing was certain; something was going on that she didn't know about, nor had any control over.

**A/N;; Hey all! Kind of a filler chap, but oh well. Could be worse. I'm slowly fleshing out my plot in my head, and I'm kind of excited about where its going. :] I would also like to take the opportunity to extend a thanks to Ode to Silence, who is my first reviewer on this story! You are a sexy beast, my dear, and I thank you. :]**

**For Reasons Unknown is also The Killers. I can't help it, I just love their sound. x]**

**Questions? Comments? Flames? Death threats? Click the green button down there. :]**


	6. Kings of the Wild Frontier

**Kings of the Wild Frontier**

Sterling genuinely tried to be annoyed with her; she was so infuriating! Running off and doing things her way, causing them to be without supplies, wasting what wood they had for a fire they wouldn't use... if Charlie hadn't taught him better, he probably would've hit her by now. But at the same time, he simply _couldn't_be mad at her. It was strange, and he didn't like it. He didn't like her that much, either. He kept coming back to how stubborn she was, and how postively ridiculous she acted over things. He could understand that she wanted to live her life to the fullest before she died, but at the rate she was going, they'd both be dead much sooner than he would've liked.

"Fer the last time, Karma, yeh need teh be a bit more quiet through 'ere," he snapped from him horse, who was trotting quietly behind Blanche and her obnoxious rider.

"_A new royal family, a wild nobility, we are the family!_" She was singing. Oh, Charles help him. He _really_ wished he could be frustrated at her now. But, he noted with a relenting sigh, she was a rather wonderful singer. "_I feel beneath the white, there is a redskin suffering, from centuries of taming..."_

"Yeh gotta good voice," he muttered when she stopped for a moment. Sterling caught a glimpse of her blushing, and smirked.

"Thanks," she said simply, looking down. "I'm getting on your nerves, aren't I?"

He laughed once and shook his head, "No' hardly," he whispered, telling himself that it would be a bad idea to add, "Though I wish I _could_ be annoyed with you."

Karma cast him a skeptical glance, "Right, so why were you so snippy with me before?" She pulled on the Blanche's reigns and stopped her. Sterling grumbled a little, and did the same.

"Yeh've heard o' Jabberwocks?" She crinkled her nose a little, and nodded.

"I read the poem for an open mic night at school once."

He nodded, wondering what a mic was and why it was open at a school, but moved on, "Well, they're not the most friendly creatures in Wonderland, y'see. Pre'y brutal, really," he spurred Gwen's sides and she began walking again; Blanche and Karma followed suit (thankfully, quiet this time), "Yeh don' wan' one findin' yeh, got i'? And tha' means, we don' wanna make a big scene ovus bein' here. Got i'?"

She nodded hesitantly, then smirked, if a little uneasily, "Define making a big scene." Sterling pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeh'll be the death o' me, woman," he muttered, looking back up in time to see a flash of white, pink and black go past him as Karma and Blanche took off again. "Bleedin' bloody hell!" He cursed, spurring poor Gwen's sides again to make her go faster. There was no way he was going to catch up to them anytime soon, unless Karma took pity on him and his horse and stopped. Then he smelled something.

"Aww, shit." The Jabberwock roared behind him, and both he and Gwen shared a moment of pure panic. The mare beneath him took off faster than he would've expected her to be able to, though the monster was still trailing behind him.

"_No method in our madness! Just pride about our manner! Ant-people are the warriors! Ant-music is our banner!_" Oh bless her. Karma was suddenly behind him and the Jabberwock, distracting the latter long enough for Sterling to magic his cane into his hand, and unsheath the thin rapier from it. He chased after the beast, who'd taken off after the singing girl, finally managing to close in on it and stab the weapon into it's side. It screeched again, and turned to Sterling. "Shit."

"Hey, ya stupid Jabberwock! Don't worry 'bout him, look at me!" Karma yelled, throwing something Sterling couldn't see at it. When it turned, he grabbed his sword from its side and quickly slashed across the creature's throat. It fell, causing the ground to shake and the two horses to scatter momentarily, but then things were silent again.

Karma and Sterling turned to eachother, the latter sliding off his horse and pulling a handkerchief out, wiping the stick green blood off of his sword. "I still say yeh'll be the death o' me, but yeh did jus' save me life." He didn't look at her, but he didn't have to to know she was grinning like his granddad.

"Well, you would've done the same." She got down, as well, and snatched his sword from him. "Didn't know that's what the cane was for."

He snicked a little, taking it back and twirling it around with a few flourishes. "Well, I was train'd by a knight, even if 'e is a bit off. And besides," he slid it back into the cane/scabbard, which then disappeared, "it's easier to keep with me this way; people don't ask as many questions when they see a cane as they do a scabbard."

Karma shrugged, conceding, "That's true. You seem pretty good with it."

Now it was Sterling's turn to flash a smirky Cheshire grin, "Well, I'm no' call'd the 'Ace o' Swords' fer nothin', I assure yeh." He mounted Gwen again and nodded towards Blanche. "We best ge' goin'; if there 'as another one around, its sure to be comin'."

She obied and trotted off, _Maybe she isn't so infuriating after all._

**A/N;;** **"Kings of the Wild Frontier" is an amazing song by Adam Ant, who is also amazing. :] This was a bit shorter, but I promise, plot is coming! : D**

**In the meantime, reviews are most welcome. :]**


	7. Little Girl

**Little Girl**

She popped the locket open and closed again; Karma was going to go crazy. It'd been longer than she even knew since she'd had a cigarette, and the nicotine addiction was going to be the death of her. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself not to think about it, instead concentrating on what Cheshire was telling her.

"We're nearly teh the ol' Kingdom. When we get there, we can set up camp'n look fer the Hole tomorreh. Soun' good?" He turned to face her, and nearly laughed at her face. "Yeh seem tense."

"You have no fucking idea," she grumbled, opening and closing her locket once more.

"'S pretty," he mused, pulling a silver metal case from inside his jacket. Even before it was open, Karma knew what was inside. "Cigarette?"

"You're my best friend, oh my God!" The words tumbled out in a rush as she reached for the proffered cancer stick, promptly fishing her zippo back out of her jeans and lighting it. This time he did laugh at her. He, too, lit one up, and they traveled in a smoky silence for another half hour or so. Flicking the remaining stub away from her, Karma sighed happily, content once more. "Sorry."

"Fer what?" Cheshire cast a sideways glance at her, tossing his own stub aside. He glanced back at her locket, then met her eyes again.

"Well," she began ringing her hands, nervously almost, "I was probably a bit of a bitch to you before, and I feel bad. I get cranky if I don't get a cigarette, and that's the first one I've had in like, two days. It was starting to wear on me, yunno?" He laughed again, clapping her on the shoulder.

"I understand, trust meh." He sighed a little and patted Gwen, glancing around the dusky forest. "Pret'y locket," he said eventually, breaking the semi-uncomfortable silence that had fallen on them. She looked down at her chest, and the heart shaped clock-locket resting there, and instinctively grabbed it.

"Thanks," she chuckled a little, unconsciously popping it open and closed, "My mom gave it to me for my birthday one year... before she died, actually."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head, "Me too. But I'm over it now. We never really got on well, anyway."

Another silence settled on them, until Cheshire clicked his tongue a few times, and both horses stopped. He pushed some branches out of their way, and led Karma into the Kingdom of the Knights. "We oughta be safe here, Charlie's got so many alarms set up that nothin'd get through withou' one o' us noticin'." She nodded quietly, looking around at the ruined city. "Jack's been tryin' teh fix it up a bit, make it a monumen' er somethin'. Hasn't quite gotten down teh i', ye'.

"I noticed," she whispered, sliding off Blanche and walking around. A hand went up to grasp her necklace, and she folded her arms. _At least there's a bed here_, she decided, taking note of the delapidated, but still better than the ground again, bed. She turned back to see Cheshire gathering wood for a fire and started helping him, ignoring his protests that he could do it himself.

After dinner (borogrove again, at Karma's request), they both sighed, when he asked the question that had been bothering him for a bit.

"Yeh say yeh an' yer mum didn' get along; wha' happened?"

It caught her so off guard that she jumped a little, stuttering a bit, before gathering her thoughts. "I dunno... we were just total opposites, yunno? Like, she was miss girly girl-always wore a skirt-had to have her nails done-type. And she wanted me to be like that. And well, to say the least...."

"Yer no'."

"Right," she kind of smiled, "we fought about it a lot, with my dad always caught in the middle. Then, when I turned 13, she gave me this. Said that her mom gave it to her when she was 13, and she wanted to continue it. Just when things started to look good for us, she was in a car crash. Drunk driver T-boned her at 87 miles an hour." Bowing her head, Karma sighed a little, ignoring the urge she suddenly got to cry. "She died almost instantly, which was good. But the thing that bugs me the most is that the guy who hit her seemed to have no remorse. I mean, granted, he was drunk. But when my dad and I saw him at the hearing... he grinned at me. Like he had done us a favor. I don't think I've ever been so angry in my life as I was then--"

Cheshire scoffed a little bit, "Yeh seem pret'y angry all the time. Bu', considerin', I guess I can' really blame yeh."

She sniffled, and wiped under her eyes. "Yeah."

"Aww shit, I didn' mean to make yeh cry...." She heard him smack his forehead, and laughed a little.

"Not crying. Just... sniffly." She looked up and mustered a smile, which wasn't hard to do when she looked at him and the face he was making. "I don't cry." He nodded and pulled his cigarette case out again.

"Wan' one? Don' wan' yeh gettin' cranky on meh again." He smirked, and she reached over to take one.

"It's safer for all those involved." She smirked, as well, dangling the tip into the fire to light it.

-----

"Your majesty," Charlie bowed almost all the way over as he entered Jack's study. The King waved his hand.

"Sir Charles, there's really no need for that." He sighed and returned to his desk, shuffling some paper work nervously.

"You wanted to see me, sire?" The Knight straightened himself up and marched towards the desk, clasping his hands behind his back once he stopped. Jack finally sat and nodded.

Resting his chin in his hand for a moment, he finally spoke. "I need you to get a search party together for Agent Gilmore and the girl. I have an annoying niggly feeling that something has gone wrong. He hasn't kept me informed like I requested, and I can't afford for something to happen to either of them."

Charlie nodded a couple of times, and bowed again. "It shall be done my liege, as you command, it shall be done. On my honour as a Knight, on the blood of my ancestors, in the name of the Red King and all he stood for, I shall assemble--"

"Yes, yes, good good. Now, if you please," Jack made a motion for the rambling Knight to leave, and once he did, the King folded his arms and leaned onto his desk. All he needed now was someone to tell him his mother had escaped, and was planning to overthrow him.

"Sire?"

Bloody hell.

**A/N;; Gasp! Ha, ok, told you guys plot was coming. It's just coming very slowly. x] A side note on Charlie's rambling speech; I just watched Men in Tights again recently, and I kinda wanted to make him a bit like Robin. x] Couldn't resist it, really. But anywho, the plot bunnies are slowly manifesting! :] And in case you were wondering what her necklace looks like, I now have a pic of it on my profile. :] **

**"Little Girl" is owned by Green Day (STFU :])**


	8. The Great Destroyer

**The Great Destroyer**

Jack paced his office uneasily, occasionally looking out the curtained window, clearly on edge. It'd been four hours, 23 minutes and 58 seconds since he found out that his mother was rebuilding her empire somewhere; that alone did not bother him. What bothered him was the fact that a) he had no idea where she was based, b) he had no idea if she was planning on overthrowing him (though it was very likely the case) and c) he found himself wishing he'd given into the people's wishes and just killed her when he had the chance.

"Jack?"

He turned, not entirely surprised to see Duchess' standing hesitantly in the doorway, concern written on her typically emotionless face. He shook his head, wishing that he didn't still care for Alice in someway. It would make his marriage to Duchess so much easier, because they both knew she was never his first choice. Being with her had gotten easier, though, in the passing years; nowadays, he could even say he truly loved her. He held a hand out to her, putting a small smile on. The blonde ran, as well as she could, for she was about 7 months pregnant, to his side. "What is it, darling?"

"I heard that your mother--"

"Let's not worry about her, alright?" He whispered soothingly, steering her to one of the chairs. "It could simply be a rumor, after all, I've heard this one before."

She sat, cradling her tummy, and nodded, "Yes, but Jack, I have this feeling...."

He sat in the opposite chair, poking the fire once or twice, then looked up at her. "That may just be the baby, Duchess."

He laid a hand on the bulge, and found himself not forcing the smile that broke onto his face when he felt a small kick. Placing her own small hand on his, she shook her head. "No, Jack. I just have this horrible feeling that she really is back this time. And that she means to destroy everything you've tried to create. She was gone for 150 years before, there's nothing promising she won't try to come back. And..." She looked down, Jack noticed that she was wiping her eyes and sniffling. "I just worry that she'll try to kill you. And our child."

"Sweet," he stood and stroked her head gently. "Try not to think about it too much. She won't come back. And if she does, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that you and baby Stella are safe. Even if it means sending you through the Looking Glass."

She sniffled again, then shook her head. "Any word from Cheshire?" She hardly waited for him to answer before going on, "Have you found anything on the girl?"

"To answer the first, no." He walked back to his desk and picked a few papers up. "As for the second... maybe. I just need to dig a little deeper to confirm my theory. I'd rather like them to hurry up, so that I may ask her some questions."

"So you think that she really did cause the Rabbit Hole to open?"

He nodded gravely.

-----

Charlie knelt down next to the rotting carcass that once was a Jabberwock, his pointed nose crinkling disgustedly. "This certainly was Sterling's work, there's no doubt." He stood up and turned to the three Suits he'd trusted enough to bring along with him. "Aaron, Tim, I want you two to head east, towards the Garden of Live Flowers. John, you're coming with me to the Kingdom of the Knights."

The Suits nodded, and the taller, broader two turned their horses around and left to the east, leaving a smaller one with Charlie. "But sir," he stammered, "Aaron and Tim would've been better to go to the old Kingdom. I'm no good with things of that sort."

The old knight shook his head, smiling a little bit. "Ahh, but that is where you are wrong. You are just the person to go with me." He clambered onto his horse, a black Stallion called Ronald, and directed the young Suit to do the same. The two began trotting off towards the greatest fortress in all of Wonderland, all the while with the soundtrack of, "Hey, nonni nonni's."

-----

The bed, Karma decided, was actually less comfortable than the ground. It was lumpy and hard, and she barely slept all night. Cheshire, once again, said he wasn't going to sleep, but in one of the times she jerked into consciousness again, he was out cold. Contemplating giving him her jacket again, she saw something out of the corner of her eye; a dash of white sprint by her. "White Rabbit?" She said, her voice thick from sleep, as she rolled off the sorry excuse for a matress. The white blur chuckled, and didn't stop, so she followed after it.

What started as a walk turned into a full on sprint into the deepest part of the wood, and though normally Karma would've been terrified, she felt calm. She further surprised herself by attributing it to White Rabbit's presence. "Can you slow down? I can't run that fas--"

She came to a screeching halt (thanks to running into White Rabbit's back) and fell. He turned and offered a hand to her, which she decided wasn't as icky feeling as she'd thought before. "What the fuck, dude?"

He chuckled a little, and a smirk danced on his lips. "Look around, but don't take another step. What do you see?" Another chuckle escaped his lips when she gasped, looking down by her feet.

"The Rabbit Hole," she whispered. "I have to tell Cheshire!" Just as she turned to go, he grabbed her arm.

"You can't trust him. He works for them."

"I'll trust who I damn well please, thank you. Now let go of my arm." He obied, and she started back towards camp. Then turned back. "How do I know it didn't open because of you?"

"Because," his voice was a whisper, "I'm not really here."

She woke suddenly, looking around. She was on the bed again, and her muscles and joints ached as if she hadn't moved for hours. As if she hadn't chased White Rabbit to a Rabbit Hole.

"Goo' Lord, girly, I was wonderin' if yeh'd ever wake up." Cheshire was smirking at her, standing by the bed and holding a cigarette out to her.

"I know where it is, Cheshire," she said in a rush, taking it from him and reaching for her lighter. "I know where the Rabbit Hole is."

He looked at her for a moment, his head tilted slightly to one side. "You found it? When?"

"Sometime in the night. I..." she paused, deciding that it could possibly be a bad idea to mention just who led her there. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. And I found it."

He didn't look like he completely believed her, "You'll have to show me--"

"Come on, then!" She got out of bed (regretting it when she felt a little lightheaded) and grabbed his hand, that electric feeling coming back for a moment then disappearing again. Before he could protest, she was dragging him outside the perimeters and into the wild forest again.

**A/N;; Yay! Told you! Plot! : D Haha, kind of anyway. And this made it's way onto another favorites list! Double yay! : D**

**Reviews are love. :]**


	9. The Beginning of the End

**The Beginning of the End**

"Karma! Good God, kid, I can'--"

"Chesh, just shut up and run!" She rolled her eyes a little and started sprinting towards the Hole's location. Occasionally, she thought she saw a flash of white go past her, directing her once more, but whenever she tried to find it, there was nothing. It had gotten to be such a distraction that she nearly fell down the Rabbit Hole when they finally came to it.

"Huh. So..." she turned to Cheshire, as he was inspecting it, "I guess this means there's somethin' 'bout yeh. Huh?"

Something about his tone unsettled her a bit, but she shook it off, attributing it to the fact that she'd nearly fallen through again. _But would that be so bad? I'd be back home. Out of this insane asylum._

"Karma?"

She turned back to him and forced a grin. "So, what now? I mean... we came out here to find this, and we found it."

He pushed himself up off the ground and dusted his pants off, "Well," he straightened his shirt out and kept his gaze on the Hole, "No doubt tha' Jack'll wanna know 'bout this. But...." He knelt down by it again, "it could jus' be one o' the ones tha' pop up o' their own will."

"So... what're you saying?" Karma crossed her arms, finding herself slightly frustrated (at best) with him. "That we're stuck out here for God only knows how much longer because it _might_ just be a random one?"

Cheshire sighed and groaned slightly, "Look Karma," he placed his hand on her shoulder in what she assumed was supposed to be a comforting gesture. Instead, it kind of made her sick to her stomach. "I know yeh wanna get outta here. An' I can' say I blame yeh. But tha's no reason to assume tha' the first Hole we come across is _the_ Hole. A'righ'?"

"Fine," she pushed his hand off and began trudging back towards the camp. She heard him sigh behind her, and could only assume that he was following behind when she heard the occasional twig snap. Once they were back in camp, she flopped onto her bed and crossed her arms, pointedly _not_ looking at him when he arrived.

"Yer actin' like a two year ol', Karma," he muttered, walking past her and going to the fire, poking it a bit, then turning away from her. They sat in mutual silence for longer than either of them cared, until he sighed again and faced her. "Look. I know yeh prob'ly think I'm bull-shitin' yeh, tellin' yeh tha' we need teh stick aroun' a bit teh see if tha' was the right Hole, bu' I'm jus' doin' my job, a'right? Like I said, I know yeh wanna ge' out'a here, an' I can' really blame yeh. I'd jump a' the chance teh get out'a this place. But regar'less... we need teh wait. A'right?"

It was her turn to sigh, "I _know _that. But... I feel like we're just sitting here, doing nothing, and I _hate_ doing nothing. We've just sat here for three days, chit-chatting occasionally, snacking on whatever poor critter you've managed to catch, and generally _wasting time_. I _hate_ wasting time! We're not even actively looking for it, the only reason I knew where that one was is because White Rabbit showed me!"

Blood drained from her face as the words left her mouth; she didn't know if Cheshire knew who White Rabbit was, or if he did, what his opinion of him was, but she was fairly certain she shouldn't have mentioned him. Her theory was confirmed when Cheshire's eyes widened and he stammered out, "White Rabbit?"

"Yes," she muttered, wishing she'd kept her mouth shut.

"As in Anderson White?"

"That'd be him."

Cheshire stood up and began pacing around the fire, saying nothing for nearly five straight minutes. When he stopped, it caused Karma to jump a little bit, "He can' be trusted, a'right? He's been workin' fer the Queen almost as long as I can remember. An' I wouldn' be surprised if he was tryin' teh lead yeh teh her, teh be honest."

"Why would he be leading me there? What would she want with me?"

"How would I know? My poin' is, don' listen teh him don' trust 'im, an' _don' _follow him. A'right? Tha' Hole was prob'ly a straight shot righ' teh the Queen's throne. I can' believe you..."

"Jesus, Sterling, I'm not a fucking child, you don't need to scold me." She snapped, getting up and walking away.

"Where're yeh goin'?" He yelled, still fuming.

"Away the fuck from you!" She yelled in return, hopping onto Blanche and spurring her into movement. Cheshire stood there for a moment or two, more stunned into silence than anything. She'd just left. Walked, err, rode away from him. Into the Tulgey Wood. Alone. "Either she's completely insane, or she's too brave fer her own bloody good," he mumbled, pondering whether he should follow or give her space. On the one hand, if he followed and she was still angry (which he felt was likely), she'd just run off again. But if he didn't, and she got herself into trouble she couldn't get out of... what then? "Bloody women."

He sat on one of the tree stumps by the fire and looked into it, wishing that some mystical force would tell him what to do. He couldn't afford her running off, or getting hurt. Damned if yeh do, damned if yeh don't, he supposed.

A twig snapped behind him, and he jumped a little, "Good, yeh came back. I was hopin' I wouldn' have teh go lookin' fer yeh...."

He turned, expecting to see Karma, with her overly bright hair and that infuriatingly cute look of mild annoyance and playfulness on her face, and her fists balled at her sides. But it wasn't Karma.

"Hello Sterling," Anderson White grinned wickedly, twirling something around his finger. It caught the fire light, and Cheshire gasped, his heart plummeting into his stomach; Karma's locket.

-----

"John, do keep up, I think I heard something ahead of us!" Charlie squinted his eyes and tried to see in the growing darkness of the night. The young Suit at his side did the same.

"What was it?" He asked a little too loudly, causing Charlie to shush him and glare. He repeated his question, only much quieter.

"Footsteps... very quick footsteps. Running, almost." He paused, "Two people? Perhaps...."

A white blur leaped out of the trees, startling the horses and causing them to buck their riders off and run away. Getting off the ground, Charlie twisted his face in confusion. "Blanche? But... I lent you to Sterling and... oh dear."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, but we're pressed for time, we need to find that Cat _now._"

**A/N;; Hey all who're reading this! ...what, can't I just say hi to my faithful readers? Hmph, fine. x]**

**Sorry, its been one of those days, yunno? Anyway.**

**Yes, its a bit short for my liking, but I liked the cliff hangar. I'm a bit addicted to those. So, you lot will just have to wait to find out what happens! I warn; there's an exposition chapter looming in the distance. I don't know when it will reer its ugly head, but it will be here soon. Don't shoot me when it arrives, please. -Puss in Boots eyes-**

**The Beginning of the End - Nine Inch Nails**


	10. Monster

**Monster**

Maybe, Karma decided much later, running off like that had been a bad idea. She was beyond lost, Blanche was getting nervous and jumpy, and wouldn't listen to her right away. After finally deciding that she wasn't mad (or as mad as she had been) at Cheshire any more, someone found her.

"My dear Karma, fancy meeting you out here." It was White Rabbit. She tugged on Blanche's reins, and slid off of her back. His smile disappeared upon seeing her slightly reddened and puffy eyes, replaced with one of pure compassion. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she snapped, rubbing her eyes hastily and hating herself for crying to begin with. "Nothing happened."

"Oh, come now, dear, you can tell me," he closed in on her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Did you and Sterling get into a fight over the Rabbit Hole?"

Her head snapped up, her brow furrowing slightly, "How...?" He shook his head and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. His touch no longer repulsed her as it had the first time, and now she found it rather comforting. "He said that I shouldn't trust you. that you work for the Queen."

"Don't worry about him, alright? He was just leading you into trouble."

Tilting her head to one side, she asked, "And where're you leading me?" A smirk slid onto his lips.

"A good time," he said simply, taking her hand and starting to lead her further and further into the woods. He refused to answer any of her questions, and it eventually grew dark all around them. Karma felt fear creeping up on her, but just as she was about to voice the thought, they stopped. "Keep quiet and stay here until I come get you, alright?" She nodded, and felt his hand slip out of hers, leaving her alone. She could barely hear him in the distance, obviously talking to someone else; a woman, by the sound of it. He returned ten minutes later and leaned close to her, whispering to follow him.

_What choice do I have now?_She briefly wondered, obeying nonetheless until she saw a neon sign in the distance. "Where're we going?" She asked quietly, getting as close as she dared to White Rabbit.

"Haus of Gaga, Jack's sister, Serendipity owns it. She performs there, as well." He answered as he pushed the door open to reveal a pulsing club, packed with people dancing and grinding to a woman singing. He led her in and up to the side of the stage. Moments after they entered, a tall blonde in very little clothing came off the stage and approached them. White Rabbit smiled and hugged her as if they were old friends.

"Somehow I'm not surprised at all," she chuckled as the woman, who she now noticed had a lightning bolt painted over her eye, turned to face her, "to find out that Lady Gaga is from Wonderland."

She smiled, "Don't call me Gaga..." Her gaze trailed back to White Rabbit, who shrugged. "I've never seen one like that before." Karma's eyebrow raised in slight confusion (and annoyance) at being pushed out of the conversation. "Don't look at me like that," she addressed Karma again, then started up the stage, adding, "You amaze me," to White Rabbit before taking to the mic again.

"Shall we?" White Rabbit had begun to slowly pull her onto the dance floor. Shrugging a little, she followed.

_"You big monster."_

"Why not, right?" She smiled a little, feeling instantly more at ease in the pulsating crowd.

_"You amaze me,"_ Serendipity's voice slithered through the speakers, the bass and synthesizers picking up.

A girlish giggle escaped her lips when White Rabbit spun her around, then pulled her close for a moment. _"Look at him look at me. That boy is bad, and honestly,"_ Karma's breath caught in her throat for a moment when their eyes met; they reminded her of garnets. _"He's a wolf in disguise. But I can't stop starin' in those evil eyes."_

"Since when're there clubs in Wonderland?" She asked, pulling away slightly. He smiled and shook his head, his voice in her ear.

"Do you not like clubs?" His hands were on her hips suddenly, easing her out of the way of a passing couple.

"Its not that," she breathed, "it just doesn't seem like something that would be here. Doesn't seem very Lewis Carroll."

White Rabbit laughed out loud that time, "Silly Oyster, Lewis Carroll didn't create us," she was spinning around again, then falling onto his chest, slightly dizzy.

_"Something tells me that I've seen him, yeah. That boy is a monster."_

"What do you mean?" She asked, moving out of the way of a waitress and deciding that a drink of some sort was definitely in order.

_"That boy is a monster."_

He may have read her thoughts, she didn't know, because suddenly she was being led towards a brightly colored bar, with equally bright drinks available. "What would you like?"

"Umm... you pick, I don't really care," she shrugged at the last second, "I don't know what kind of drinks they make around here...." _Or if there's even any alcohol._

"How about a screw driver? They have those Above Ground, right?"

She nodded a little, "Orange juice and vodka?" He nodded back, "I'm cool with that, then."

He smiled and ordered, while she turned her attention back to the stage and the people dancing around it. Something about it (the colors, maybe?) reminded her of the 80's, and definitely Glam Rock.

_"He licked his lips, said to me, 'Girl you look good enough to eat.' Put his arms around me, I said boy now get your paws right offa me."_

An arm fell across her shoulders; White Rabbit was holding an unusually orange drink out to her, "Your drink, madam."

"They're not this obnoxious looking where I come from," she commented, taking a sip of it. It tasted alright, though, so she downed it easily.

_"We mighta fucked, not really sure, don't quite recall. But something tells me that I've seen him, yeah, that boy is a monster."_

"She's certainly unique, isn't she?" Karma jumped a little bit, trying to get used to how close White Rabbit stood to her. Nodding hesitantly, she asked,

"You said Lewis Carroll didn't create you. What do you mean?"

_"Could I love him? That boy is a monster."_

"We've always been here. If you want to get technical about it, we created Lewis Carroll. He was a Wonderlandian, but he didn't hold with the Queen's ideals. Found a Rabbit Hole that led to your world," he chuckled a little, casually snaking an arm around Karma's waist from behind. "Tried to lead people to us through his books, but no body believed him. They all thought he was--"

"On drugs, that much I know."

_"He ate my heart."_

"He did, however have one believer; can you guess who that was?"

She turned to him, nodding at the bartender for another, starting to feel the effects. But they weren't what she was used to; instead of feeling slightly tipsy, she felt alert. Not only that, but she felt suddenly very attracted to White Rabbit, in a "I really wanna jump his bones RIGHT NOW" way. Before she answered, she shook her head in an attempt to clear it. "Alice."

_"He ate my heart. He's a monster in my bed."_

"Very good, Oyster. You do know your history."

_"He took me home instead, uh oh, there was a monster in my bed."_

He said something else, but it was of little consequence to her; she was mesmerized merely by the movement of his lips, and wasn't shocked at all to find them pressed against her own. Some very distant part of her was screaming that this was wrong, that she wasn't here to drink and fuck a random guy who she had already been warned against, that she had promised to help Jack, and that more than anything, she needed to get home, to Kat, and Benji. But none of that registered with the dominant part of her brain at that moment, and she could hardly protest when he began to lead her elsewhere, more specifically, up to a lavish bedroom suite above the club. Serendipity's voice echoed up through the vents, and the music shook the floor.

_"That boy is a monster! But could I love him?"_

Clothes were lost and forgotten about quickly, the only thing Karma seemed capable of thinking about or doing at the moment was White Rabbit. And he didn't seem to mind.

_"Could I love him? That boy is a monster...."_

_This is wrong, this is so wrong, Karma! You've gotta stop RIGHT NOW!_ Her voice of reason screamed, though it could hardly break through into her conscious thoughts. Later, much later, Karma would decide that date rape drugs in our world were weak in comparison to this; because they didn't make you want it so badly.

"You're gonna forget all about that pathetic pussy Cheshire when we're done here, I promise you that," White Rabbit half whispered, half growled in her ear.

"Just fuck me already," she growled in return, pushing him onto the bed.

_"That boy is a monster-er-er-er."_

**A/N;; Ahh! What will happen next?! Like I've said before, I don't write smut, so sorry if I got your hopes up. Lol. And in case you're wondering, "What the fuck is Lady Gaga doing in this story?!" Allow me to direct you to another story of mine, Wonderland Uberdrabbles. :] That's where she first appears as Jack's sister and honestly, she HAS to be from Wonderland. I think so, anyway.**

**And in case you were wondering, the "Screw Driver" he gave her was actaully lust, with a little alcohol mixed in. Why is it orange? Well, according to my friend's color theory book (sometimes it pays to have a friend in art school) orange is an aphrodisiac (that looks like its spelled wrong. Oh well). So there. And why not have the slang term for Lust be Screw Driver? Haha, get it? Screw Driver? x] This is why I should take sleep meds...**

**And, one more thing, I'd like to extend a thank you to my newest reviewer, Irishlass18! Welcome aboard dearie, and sorry to have disappointed you (in the sense that Jack wasn't the main focus). I assure you, he's getting a chapter of his own here soon! So stay turned! :D**

**And (ok, I lied. But this is the last thing, I PROMISE), this was not the big scary exposition chapter I warned about. That's still looming angrilly in the distance.**

**Sigh. My Author's Notes are far too long. xP**

**Monster = Lady Gaga**

**REVIEW! :D**


	11. Where's My Angel?

**Where's my Angel?**

**Cheshire's POV**

I want'd teh rip tha' blast'd 'Are apart wiv my bare 'ands the momen' I saw 'im 'oldin' Karma's necklace; I knew she wouldn'ta parted wiv it willingly. "What'd yeh do t'er?" I growl'd, standin' and stalkin' towards 'im. 'E 'ardly look'd afraid, but 'e didn' know what I was capable o' when someone really piss'd me off.

"Nothing more than everything you _wanted_ to do to her...." 'E smirk'd, and I leapt fer 'im; I couldn' believe 'e 'ad the nerve to say tha', and teh _hell_ wiv whether it was true er no', a good ass-kickin' was in order.

'E roll'd out o' my reach, and jump'd away from me sword before I even knew I'd drawn i'. "Now now now, would you really want to hurt the man she loves? That would hurt her more, wouldn't it?"

I laugh'd sharply, taking another swipe at 'im, "She don' love yeh, yer nothin' but a creep t'er," I miss'd again, vanishin' my sword away an' settlin' fer my fist. There was somethin' more satisfyin' about deckin' his stupid pale face than just runnin' 'im through, anyway. 'E was cradlin' 'is nose, but kept laughin'. It was enough teh drive me mad. Er.

"I have to say, I knew you'd react strongly, but I didn't think you would be so defensive of her. What a surprise." Before I really knew I'd mov'd again, I was clutchin' the front o' 'is shirt, glarin' in 'is bloody eyes.

"Where'd yeh take 'er?" I breath'd, more angry than I could remember bein' in a long while. No' since the Queen took my parents' lives. 'E continu'd to cackle, until I threw 'im inteh one o' the trees, anyway. "Yeh better start talkin', yeh miserable rodent. Elseways yer gonna fin' yerself in Jack's office, an' I'm no' so sure 'e'd be pleas'd teh see a traitorous wretch like yerself." My foot was on 'is chest, an' it took ev'ry bit o' strength I had teh no' just crush 'im. I need'd 'im teh tell me where Karma was, at the least.

"I'm the traitorous wretch now? Who was a double agent for the first ten years of Jack's reign?" I put more pressure on 'is chest, an' 'e start'd coughin'.

"Yeh know why I 'ad teh do tha'. An' I got ou' as soon as I could. Can _yeh_ say the same?"

"Sterling!"

I turn'd; Charlie was standing there, with a Suit a' 'is back, looking confus'd, an' a little appall'd. I took my foot offa the creep an' reluctantly 'elp'd 'im up. "'Ello Charlie."

"What in Carroll's name is going on here?!" 'E storm'd over to us and glar'd at me like I was a boy. Apparently, 'e didn' know who White Rabbit was. I roughly grabb'd the blighter's collar an' 'eld 'im before Charlie, barely containin' my anger.

"This _man_ kidnapp'd Karma and 'as taken 'er to places unknown, though I suspect the Queen's involv'd some'ow." I dropp'd 'im, an' Charlie bent down teh check 'im ou'.

"Alright, we'll take him back to the King. I'm sure that he will want to know of this development." I nodd'd, not movin' from where I stood. "Aren't you coming?"

"No," I shook my head once, "I'm gonna find 'er. I... I _gotta_ find 'er, Charlie." Wivout a word, 'e load'd Anderson's pathetic carcas onteh one o' the 'orses an' left, the Suit lookin' a little warily at him. Seem'd teh 'ave a good 'ead on 'is shoulders, though. Once they were outta sight, I turn'd and disappear'd inteh the woods, in the direction Karma'd taken off. Why, _why _didn' I jus' take the chance teh go after 'er? _Regrettin' it won't do yeh no good now, Chesh. Just find 'er._

That 'ad me stopp'd in me tracks; since when did anythin' in my 'ead make sense? It was a little unsettling. "A moment'ry lapse o' reason," I mused quietly, slowing my pace. I'd been runnin' fer I don' even know 'ow long now, and still 'adn' found a bloody thing. My legs were sore, my feet screamin' at me. I finally gave up, an' made me way back teh camp, retrieved Gwen, and took off fer Jack's castle. They were bound teh interrogate 'im... and I want'd no more than teh help 'em out.

When I arriv'd a' the castle, I wasn' even sure I was in the righ' place; there were at least three times as many people crowd'd in as there usually were, an' they all chatter'd nervously.

"Sterling, right?"

I turn'd to the voice, which apparently belong'd teh the young Suit Charlie'd 'ad wiv 'im. "Yeah?" I grumbled, not in the mood fer chitchat.

"Sir Charles said you'd show up, he asked that you'd come with me." I sigh'd an' follow'd, findin' myself lookin' in on the interrogation.

"'As 'e said anythin' yet?" I ask'd squeezing in next teh Jack, who look'd paler than usual. 'E jump'd and turn'd teh me.

"Nothing of consequence; he reminds me a bit of your grandfather in that sense, if you don't mind my saying."

"I deh mind yeh sayin', as i' were. Tha'... pathet'c excuse fer a man 'as never done a lick o' good fer yer Kingdom. 'E works fer yer mum, I'm certa'n ovit." I turn'd t'im fully, "Whatsa matt'r? Yeh look sick."

"Duchess went into early labor this morning. Stress induced, we believe. She's convinced that my mother is really plotting our deaths this time." 'E shook 'is 'ead sadly. Now the sudd'n increase o' people made a helluva lot more sense, even in my muddled 'ead.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled respectfully, castin' my gaze back inteh the room before me.

"Sterling, sir, I know you're out there watching me. Won't you come in? We can have a little chat about where your precious angel is."

I nearly jump'd through the one-way mirror - teh hell wiv 'ow 'e knew I was there, if 'e was willin...

Jack caught my arm, "Wait just a moment. I don't know if your going in there in the state you're in is the best bet. You look like you're ready to kill him."

"Wiv all due respec', majesty, I am." I 'ad teh be 'onest. Jack shook 'is 'ead.

"You're not going in there alone, then. Take John in with you."

The wimpy lookin' suit squeaked be'ind me, an' I groan'd a bit, "Very well," I mumbled at last, grabbing the Suit's collar and draggin' 'im inteh the room. Grabbin' the seat opposite White Rabbit, I flipp'd aroun' backwards an' sat.

"Where is she?" I ask'd, no' in the mood teh beat aroun' the bush. 'E chuckl'd a' me.

"So eager. You don't even know if she'll want to see you when you find her. If you find her."

"Look," I cast a look a' John, then back to the shit infron' o' me, "I'm no' suppos'd teh hurt yeh, tha's why 'e's in 'ere. Bu' if yeh don' tell me where yeh took 'er and why, I'll cut yer bleedin' 'ead off wivout a second though'. Go' i'?"

He seem'd teh pale a bi', and clear'd 'is throat. "Very well. She's living her dream. That's all I can tell you."

"All yeh can, er all yeh will?"

'E tilt'd 'is 'ead teh the side an' smirk'd, sayin' no more. I push'd the table inteh 'im, then left the room, John trailin' be'ind me. Jack tried teh ask me wha' 'appen'd, but I push'd past 'im; right now I need'd a think. Livin' 'er dream... aww, fuck, she'd mention'd tha' once! I smack'd my head a few times, 'opin that'd get my thoughts organiz'd. What the 'ell did tha' bloody woman tell me....

_"Yeh should sing more of'en; yeh got a real nice voice."_

_"Thanks. Its actually kinda my dream to be a singer. But that might not happen unless I get super lucky, yunno? That's why I'm just...."_

Tha' was i'! She want'd teh be a singer. "Kay Chesh, yeh gotta a startin' poin'... now where would a singer go in Wonderland...."

"Umm, Mr Gilmore?"

"Tha's Agent Gilmore, teh yeh, Suit." I snapp'd, leanin' against a wall tha' wasn't there an'grumblin' as the younglin' ran up teh me.

"Sorry, Agent Gilmore... but you said that she wanted to sing?"

"Unless yeh know where she is off the top o' yer 'ead, yer nothin' more 'an a bother, lad. Sorry."

'E fumbl'd wiv 'is 'ands fer a momen', "Well, I don't know if its the right place... but I know of a little hole in the wall bar. It used to be a tea joint, but now its clean, I think." I mov'd so quick I think I mighta scar'd 'im.

"Yer takin' me there, go' i'?" 'E nodd'd fast, like 'e was scar'd I'd hurt 'im if 'e din' agree. Wasn' entirely outta the question, a' tha' point.

'E led me teh the stable, an' I grabb'd Gwen's reigns again. "Pick yer 'orse, I'm not slowin' down for a walker." 'E did as was told, an' began leadin' me back teh Karma.

**A/N;; If anyone had trouble reading this one due to dialect, say it out loud; if I've written it right, then it'll make a lot more sense that way. :] If not, then I'm terribly sorry. This was a bit of an experiment, I wanted to do a chapter from his perspective, and I might do a few like this. Who knows. Anyway, PLEASE review. :]**

**Where's My Angel? - Metro Station (its on the Almost Alice cd :])**

**And OMG did you guys see Alice in Wonderland? I loved it. But, that's no surprise. :]**


	12. Painted by Numbers

**Painted by Numbers**

They were lost, that was really all there was to it. Night had fallen twice since they left the castle, the Suit obviously had no sense of direction, and the way he kept glancing over his shoulder at Cheshire was growing old fast. "Chill, kid, I ain' gonna chop yer 'ead off."

He chuckled nervously, a shrill, choked sound, and tugged on his horse's reins to make him turn left. "It sh-should be around here s-somewhere...."

Cheshire groaned to himself, _Don' hurt 'im, don' hurt 'im, think o' Karma.... _He bit his tongue and kept Gwen trotting behind them, pointlessly checking his pocket watch for the millionth time. The hands were still moving around in mindless circles. What a surprise.

"Aha! There it is, just up ahead!" John's voice pulled Cheshire out of his own muddled head, and he looked up - the Suit was pointing at an unassuming builing, placed in the middle of the forest, with a neon sign above the door. It read "Haus of Gaga."

"Haus o' Gaga? What kinda name is tha'?"

"Jack's sister, Serendipity, owns it. She's known in the Otherworld as Lady Gaga," his companion explained as they rode up to it. "They've got the best drinks in Wonderland in there, or they did, anyway, when Tea was still legal."

Nodding without hearing him, Cheshire slid off Gwen's back and patted her a few times before approaching the door. It looked like a pretty shady spot, but considering the owner, he wasn't surprised. Still though, it looked a lot better than most of the places he'd been. With that thought firmly set in his mind, he opened the door and walked in, the Suit close behind him.

It looked like any other club he'd ever been to, except maybe a bit bigger and with more lights and a larger stage. People were walking around on it, setting up for a performance, no doubt. And the floor itself was packed with the teenagers of Wonderland, wearing some of the craziest clothes he'd seen. "The regulars," John was at his elbow, "they seem to have adopted Serendipity's err, _unique_ sense of style."

Just then, he saw her; a brilliant dash of bright pink among all the grey and silver. She was grinning broadly at someone, still in the backstage area, and she looked out, making eye contact with Cheshire. His heart flew into his throat, and he had to force himself not to tear through all the people in there to get to her. He had to time this right, or else he'd never be able to save her.

"Ladies and not-so-gentlemen," the club's owner, the obnoxious blonde Heart girl, was at the mic, dressed in her usual skimpy attire. John acted as if Cheshire was ignorant to who she was. In truth, many in Wonderland were these days; she was the youngest, never destined for the crown, as Jack had been, and much more popular in the Otherworld. It wasn't uncommon for someone like her to do, and many before her had (Duchess' mother, being a good example*). The fact was, Sterling knew who she was all too well; they had, at one point, been engaged.

"Tonight I have a special treat for you. A new girl to the stage, but one with a lot of talent and all that great shit, allow me to introduce to you to... Pepper!"

_Pepper?_ Cheshire looked around for John, but he seemed to have already found his way to the bar, with a few girls of, _erm_, questionable honor. He turned his head back to the stage; Karma was standing there, but her hair was no longer pink and purple, as it had been when he first met her, but now it was white, and silver and black. She looked completely desaturated, but the smile on her face was as bright as he remembered.

Music started, a guitar somewhere, and her face grew serious before she began singing, "_Could I act like you, and put a smile on my face? Not even for a second, would I lie to myself. Too many things are missing, and there's a tear in my eye._" She looked out into the audience, "_its not a question or an answer, but it will change your mind._"

She took the mic off the stand, "_We'll be the same tomorrow, cause we've all been painted by numbers. We're dancing as we borrow; you said it was love, I said I'd like you to be mine._"

She danced in her spot, and Cheshire grinned a little to himself; she looked so in her element, it was a real treat to see her so happy and free. For the first time she didn't look worried about anything. "_I couldn't act like you, but I can love like you do._" She opened her eyes to the audience again, and seemed to look straight at him, "_Between us there is something, I can't explain it to you._

_We'll be the same tomorrow, cause we've all been painted by numbers. We're dancing as we borrow; you said it was love, I got what I need to get by. We'll be the same tomorrow, cause we've all been painted by numbers. We're dancing as we borrow; you said it was love, I said I'd like you to be mine...."_

Everyone in the place was now going crazy for her, and her energy only increased with their cheering. Her cheeks were glowing, and that crazy grin seemed permanent on her face now. "_We'll be the same tomorrow, cause we've all been painted by numbers. We're dancing as we follow...._" She took a breath, and sang a bit harder, "_We sing a song for sorrow, cause we've all been painted by numbers. We're dancing as we follow, you said it was love, I got what I need to get by...._"

The music faded away, and the audience went wild. She blushed more and bowed before disappearing from the stage. Cheshire took off after her, pushing his way through people until he managed to grab her sleeve. "Karma!"

She turned and smiled at him, humoring him like she would any other crazed fan. "Karma? I'm sorry, sir, my name is Pepper." She gently pulled her arm out of his grasp and turned to face him. "Can I help you with something...?"

"Karma, its me, its Cheshire," he edged closer to her, and she took a step back. "Sterling? What'sa matter wiv yeh?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know you, and I don't know who this 'Karma' is, but I'm not her." She looked afraid, which was the only reason he backed off.

"Pepper, dear, is there a problem?"

Cheshire growled in the back of his throat; it was that damned Heart. Karma looked at her, "No problem, just a misunderstanding. I think this guy is looking for someone...." She gestured at the annoyed cat, and Serendipity laughed slightly when she realized who he was.

"Well, Sterling, long time no see."

"Yeah," he didn't looke at her, didn't look away from Karma. She looked so different without her color....

"Who're you looking for, hmm? Me, perchance?"

"Don' flatter yerself, Ser," he grumbled, turning to her. "What'd yeh do t'er?"

She acted surprised, "Why, Sterling, I have no idea what you mean." Suddenly there was a gun at his back. "And if I were you, I wouldn't press the matter. Just go have a drink with your friend. And be a good little boy." Stepping towards him, she smiled innocently, stroking his cheek with a gloved hand. "Do it for me? For old times sake?"

He shoved her hand away, "Fuck yeh an' yer ol' times. I wanna know what yeh did t'my friend here. Her name is Karma, no' Pepper. What'd yeh do t'her?"

The gun was shoved further into his back, and Serendipity's expression turned annoyed. "Sterling. If you know what's good for you, and I know you do, you'll drop it. And forget all about her."

He only turned away when he saw the look on Karma's face; she looked very afraid of him now, and was almost hiding behind that smirking blonde. Cheshire relented and looked down, turning away from them both, and walking out of the club. The look in her eyes was what haunted him the most as he left; they were still as bright as ever, but the fire was gone out of them.

**A/N;; Yay! I updated! At last! :D**

**That's all I really feel the need to say. OH!**

***Duchess' mother - Madonna. Again, I reference this in my story, Wonderland Uberdrabbles. :]**


	13. Amaranth

**Amaranth**

Jack paced the floor in front of the looking glass, Charlie waiting patiently at his side, for Alice to appear. Finally, the mirror began to shimmer, and her image came forth. She looked severly annoyed, and extremely tired. He bowed slightly, and was about to ask how she was doing, when she cut him off.

"Jack, I'm not in the mood for small talk. Just tell me what's going on."

"Alice, your mother, she has a brother, correct?"

"Yeah... but, " The girl in the mirror shook her head, "what does this have to do with anything, Jack? My family is kinda in crisis mode right now. See, my cousin--"

"I know." He waved his hand absently, "Your mother's brother, your uncle... he has only one child, correct?" She nodded. "Do you know anything about your family history?"

She crinkled her nose a bit, "Not really. But wha--"

Clasping his hands behind his back, Jack began pacing briefly again. "A little under two weeks ago, here, an Oyster fell through a Rabbit Hole. That is no small feat, as I made it my mission to see to it that they were all closed off. Only someone with ties to Wonderland could cause one to open back up. I've done a little digging, and it seems that your cousin, Karma, is a direct descendant of Charles Dodgson, known better in your world as--"

"Lewis Carroll? The man who wrote...?"

Charlie nodded, jumping into the conversation, "He did, indeed, write the story. But as you know, it was hardly just a children's story. He was an Ace of the Queen's when she took over, but he thought her methods were unjust and wrong. He barely managed to escape; Aces are like hungry dogs, really. Most of them will turn on one of their own if they think they could benefit from it." The Knight shook his head, "I knew him, you see. He was a close friend of mine."

"But... how? How is Karma related to him? He never married or had kids."

Both Wonderlandians shook their heads, "Common misconception," Jack sighed. "He never married or had kids in your world. His family was here. He had a wife, and one son who were able to go to your world only after his young friend, Alice, brought my mother down the first time. However, they were transported to a different part of your world. They wound up in America, while he in Britain. Karma's mother was Lewis Carroll's granddaughter of four generations."

"Where is Karma? Why didn't you send her back the second you figured out who she was?"

"When she came back to power, my mother feared Carroll's family interfering again. So she sent Mad March to your world on more than one occasion to take out his remaining family members. Its a wonder Karma was born at all. My theory is that they had many friends on your side of the Looking Glass who were willing to protect them at any cost." He lowered his head, "However, March did succeed with killing your aunt."

"She was killed in a car crash... and the man they convicted for it was _not_ Mad March."

"You must keep in mind that when you met him, he didn't have the same head. It was in fact, him. He very nearly got Karma, as well, according to your news paper's coverage of it. Tried to attack her in the court room, correct?"

Alice nodded sadly, "He lept over a five foot podium... my dad stopped him, though." Jack saw Hatter enter in the background.

"What's he doing on there?"

"He knows where Karma is."

"Then why hasn't he sent her back?"

"Because, _Lindsey*_," Jack allowed himself a smirk when he saw Hatter bristle, "Though I know she is in Wonderland, I don't know where in Wonderland she is. She was kidnapped by my mother's new pets, the White Rabbit and my sister."

"Spectacular, your Nibs, truely fantastic." Hatter grumbled, kissing Alice's cheek. "I'll go make us some tea, then?" She nodded, and he left.

"So what exactly was the point of you telling me all this?"

"I wonder if it would be too much to ask of Hatter and yourself to come help us in our search. You both know Wonderland well, and you both also have first hand experience with my mother--"

"And you have not visited me yet! You both promised that you would, Alice of Legend!" Charlie piped in again, waggling a finger at her image. Alice smiled vaguely at the old man, then turned to Jack.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. You better have a good alibi thought up for my mother."

"No alibi needed, Alice, if you've told her the truth." She outright laughed at him.

"And sound mad?"

"I suppose your right. I'll draw one up once the two of you get here."

"Fine." And with that, her image swirled until nothing remained but Jack's own liquid reflection. He turned from the Mirror and looked at Charlie. "Has Cheshire returned yet?"

"Not yet, that I'm aware of. He seemed determined to find her when he left."

"Of course," Jack rubbed his face and sighed, sitting down on the steps of the platform. "I need to check on Duchess. Would you wait here for Alice and Hatter?"

Charlie nodded, and, before he could spring into a longwinded pledge, Jack stood and left the room. Cheshire was standing outside of Duchess' room when he arrived, looking as Alice had; utterly griefstricken. "Agent Gilmore."

He jumped slightly at Jack's voice, and turned to bow. "Majesteh." Jack placed a hand on the quivering cat's shoulder.

"Bad news, I take it?"

"The worst. Yer mum an' whore ova sister - no offense, mind yeh - 'ave taken 'er. She doesn' remember a bloody thing. Doesn' even know who she is." He looked down and made a fist. "I think this is their new way o' collectin' emotions, sir. An' she's the guinea pig fer i'."

Jack took it all in, and sighed. "I have help coming in for this, Sterling. Alice Hamilton and Lin-- Hatter. You no doubt know who they are. They're going to help you. In the meantime, you need to get some sleep. Perhaps have a drink. Just try to calm yourself. We need you in prime condition if we're going to rescue her." He gave Cheshire's shoulder another squeeze, then disappeared into Duchess' room to comfort her and his new daughter.

**A/N;; Phew! Big scary exposition chapter is DONE. :] That wasn't so bad, now was it? I didn't think so, even though I probably wrote and rewrote this one at least ten times before I was finally satisfied with it. *sigh* I'm still unsure of whether or not I am, but oh well.**

**AHHHH! I'm so excited to start on this next chapter. Its the one I've planned from the beginning. :] I. Cannot. Wait. :D**

***Lindsey - once again, a reference to Wonderland Uberdrabbles, in which it is discovered that Hatter's real name is not David (he picked that one because of his uncle, David Bowie), but Lindsey, because his parents thought he was going to be a girl. :]**


	14. Ladies and Gentleman!

**A/N;; Yup, once again, check me out man. All rebellious and whatnot.**

Well. I have to say, this story has gotten a bit more attention than I really anticipated it getting. And I'm so thankful for that. :] All you guys who've favorited it and reviewed it, no joke, I hold you dear to my heart. :] But, I'm going to put it on hold for a while. I'm going through and rewriting it (not completely, nothing major will change, at least, I don't think), both so I'm more satisfied with it, and so parts make more sense for you guys (cause I'm fully aware that there are some VERY rocky bits in here where even I go what in the hell is going on -_-). Anywho, I promise, this will be finished and updated. :] But, just so you guys can actually enjoy what I'm doing, once I've got everything up and posted again, start from the beginning. :]

Love, tea and hats to you all!

lindzxhatter


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